Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-07-02
standing the attitude OF the daily here
In taking the Spencer side.
HAD A GOOD NERVE.

euGG Oh OTUeTa.
A Dawson, Ga. correspondent of the
American Recorder, relates the follow
ing: When General Bragg's army eyac-
mated Corinth, Miss, in 1862, there was
q great deal of sickness among the
soldiers, nearly ons-fourth of the army
being unfit for service.
Captain =. r.. Weston, of company 81.
Fifth Georgia regiment, and myself (be-
Longing to company .. same regiment),
were on the sick list and not able to
march, but atili able to do light duty.
SO we were put in charge OF the sick OF
our regiment, who were to be sent down
on o separate train. While we we're at
the depot getting the men aboard
and looking to their comfort, we noticed
another squad to our left, as We faced
the town, loading another train with
quartermasters' and commlssary stores !,
and everybody seemed TO be in q hurry
and in some confusion. Every straggler
was put to work and many of the sick
were made to work who ought to have
been in rec ,Some boisterous, overbearing
fellow WAS bossiRg the job, and he order
ed . man to go to work and he refused /.
He reported him at once to General
i 1k0k8S sWhO pOOACu v b6 6upGIluGSn0-
ing the whole movement in person.
Finally o young soldier came along on
his way to the cars for the sick, He ap-
peared to be about twenty wears of q
tall and handsome, but pale and delicate
The man Cor brute) commanding the
work-squad saw him and yelled ont:
"Say, young man, fall in here and 20
to work! Heave these goods into those
cars. and ha uuiok ahout *. -
The young man replied:
II am not able to work. II / were /
would be with my company"
"Eh? won't work, Ell? Well see
about that. General" hAlloaed out to
General Bragg, who was passing, ahese's
q mar who refuses to work" pointing at
the youth. who stood as firm as o rock.
General Bragg stopped and gazed at the
young man, his eyes blazing as no
other mans eyes can blaze, and repeated
the order to help load these cars at once.
Ihe young man repeated his former
answer, that he was not able to work;
had he been able to work he would have
been able to march and would be with
his command.
The generals eyes seemed to, fash fire
as he exclaimed:
What you dare to. disobey my or.
ders?"
II do,n calmly replied the young man.
The general called q lieutenant OF a
Louisiana company OF regulars doing
GUARD duty, and said;
Take ak of your company and carry
this man to that grove and shoot him."
The lieutenant called out SIX of his
men and ordered them to load their guns,
and while they were doing so General
Bragg beokoned the lieutenant, stepped
behind o garden wall. spoke to him In q
low tone not heard by any ,one else and
walked away. The guard marched the
young mar 10 the grove, about one hun
dred to the riPht. placed him upon 8
stool against q large oak and started to
blindfold him which he would not per-
matt bnt took off his gold watch and chain
and . fine gold ring from his finger,
handed them to the lieutenant and re-
quested him to send them to his mother
at the Baae time writing her name and
address ON q piece of paper and handing
ii to the lieutenant, resumed his position
against the tree, and with q proud smile
upon his lips, and without o tremor in
his voice, he said:
eNow, sir, / am ready
The lieutenant stepped off ten PAGES,
! OAOu6Ab LAX AAOA w rs dtbOAblOu ~ BLU
commanded, in q loud voice, distinctly
heard by us: aReadyl-Aimrr
I became so weak thought / should
faint, and caught hold OF q small oak for
support and closed my eyes to shut out
the awful deed. There sat the young
man gazing into the muzzles Of ak
musketa pointed at his heart, a single
one Of which might send his soul into
eternity in the twlnkling OF an eye. He
looked on as calmly as If he was looking
at q canera and simply having his
photograph taken. But his li~eutenapt's
next command vas Recover armsl'
which was willingly and promptly
obeyed. The lieutenant then stepped
up to the young hah babe him rise
grasped his hand in admiration, re-
turned his watch and ring which he re-
ceiyed with q polite bow and the word
thanks and walked away as uncon-
cerned as il nothing unusual had eo-
CURED.
The lieusentant and his men returned
to their former position, within q few
PAGES of where we were, and pretty soon
General Bragg returned and asked:
aWhere Is the boy2"
.Gone," said the lientenant.
what did yon do /" asked the general.
sJust exactly as you directed, replied
the lieutenant. sHa handed me his
watch and ring to send to his mother,
took his position, refused to be blind
folded, said he was ready, and never
batted his syes even while we we're OF
aim He's the bravest man / ever saw
in my life" And tears came into the
the lieutenant's eyes.
"Who is he; and where is he 2" demand
ed the general eyincing much interest
and looking in every direction.
81 don't know, "answered the lieuten-
ant. Here's his mothers name and adj
Dress" handing him q slip OF paper. He
glanced at it, put it in his vest pocket
and said:
"Well, find him Til promote him.
And away they went to find the young
hero.
But whether they ever found him, and
il so, what came Of it, / never knew.
When General Bragg first gave tho
order to shoot the youngm man, I suppose
there were a hundred soldiers who heard
ii. They D o soampered away some to
work some to hide out, and others too
sick to do either took she places assign
ed them in the cars. And only Captain
Weston and myself, and perhaps, two
or three others watched this episode
to the end. Those others oil thought,
and those still living think till this day
that General Bragg had that young man
shot. Bragg was. indeed. sseyere dis
ciplinsrian but not SO bad at heart as
many deem him.
Missing Dakotaians.
SifiuY Falls AROMA TaaHar, Ahonk